Thousand Paper Cranes
by GingerAndRust
Summary: Royed slight onesided RisaxRoy takes place after the series ends He was in essence Obsidian. Obsidian is spawned from fire, on dragon's breath and phoenix's wings, but once the fire goes out, all that is left behind is a sharp, cold shell
1. Fold 1 Left Behind

This is my first FMA story so please be kind. It is RoyxEd with slight onesided RisaxRoy. This takes place after the show ends and there will be some spoilers. I don't own FMA (if i did would i be on i mean really...) Anyway, enjoy and remember to Review!

Silence…it was the bane of the Major General's existence. Silence meant the lack of productivity. The lack of productivity meant that she would have move from her desk and personally see to it that work was resumed. '_Sometimes it truly astonishes me that that man manages to function on a day-to-day basis' _she thoughtWith a groan and scrape of wood on wood, Major General Risa Hawkeye stood up at her desk and stretched before moving to cross the room in a few long, graceful strides. Tall black boots clicked on hardwood floors, her gaze cool as she stared straight ahead at the mahogany door in he wake. Risa halted just before the door, a lengthy sigh falling gracefully off her lips as she gazed at her distorted reflection in the brass doorknob. Tired red-brown eyes stared back at her; lines that she shouldn't be getting for another five years already distinct on the once perfect face. Ah, stress is such a cruel thing. Her gloved hand wrapped around that doorknob and slowly twisted it counterclockwise, allowing the subtle squeak to be her introduction.

"Fuhrer sir, permission to enter," Risa said, her emotionless voice reverberating off of the office's interior walls. Silence…well not quite. The Major General could faintly detect soft rustling, the subtle grating sound of gloves on paper. Hawkeye waited, but no affirmative or negative answer came. There was simply no response from the office's occupant. "Sir…"

"Permission granted, you may enter Hawkeye," came the response at last. A soft smile, hardly detectable except in the very core of her eyes, graced Risa's face. She fully pulled open the door and walked inside, saluting. Her hand fell as she looked on at room in front of her. Seated at a large desk flanked by two open windows on either side was Roy Mustang, feet propped up on the table, his hand preoccupied with a small piece of colorful paper. Sheets of blue and green, red and gold, those with intricate designs and those merely with solid shades were strewn all across the floors. The late afternoon light shown through the windows, glancing off the occasional metallic laced paper, making the walls shine like gold and silver. A chain of origami cranes stretched from Mustang's hands down to the floor on the other side of his desk. The sight, to say the least, surprised Risa, and momentarily she lost her composure. Paper cranes had been turning up all around the larger offices in Central's Head Quarters lately, many on her desk or scattered around lamps or tables, but the Major General remained clueless as to why the Fuhrer was acting so strangely.

Risa bent down to grab a black and navy crane, turning it in her hands as she did so. It was odd how a simple piece of folded paper could fascinate the General like this. The head was bent slightly downwards; the tail at an angle that somehow seemed slightly off. Risa stared down at the miniscule bird, slight warmth spreading through her usually frigid eyes. When she looked up she saw that her superior had not moved, though it seemed he had finished the crane he was working on for he now had piece of dark yellow paper with streaks of red in his hands. "I never reckoned that you would be one for origami, sir," Risa stated, not needing a response. She strolled forward to place her crane on the desk.

Mustang smirked slightly. "Say it is a girly pastime and I'll kick you out of the room, Hawkeye," he said with a chuckle. At last he looked up at his subordinate, black eyes locking with red. A chill ran down the Major General's spine as she desperately fought down the warmth that was currently clawing at her face, demanding to make its presence known. But there was another origin of the ice-cold chill that ran down her spine, another reason she felt like frigid water had been dumped on her skin. The Flame Alchemist, that was Roy's alias. It had always been such a fitting name for him, alive and fiery in all his glory. But as she stared into his eye she knew, she knew only too well, that the fires had gone out. His eyes were like obsidian, black as the dark cracks in the earth where no light ever touches. Obsidian is spawned from fire, on dragon's breath and phoenix's wings, but once the fire goes out, all that is left behind is a sharp, cold shell of its former self. That shell sat in front of her, a sin against the name of the once sarcastic, foul-mouthed colonel. When he moved up in rank he left all the things that once mattered to him behind. Here was the result: the powerful and admired ruler of the country, respected for his cool head and calm hand, a bitter title to accompany a shattered soul. And that result nearly broke Risa's heart. She breathed in deeply, letting the new burst of oxygen revitalize her and stall her trembling. Reaching forward, Risa yanked the slip of folded paper out of the Fuhrer's hands.

"Pardon my rudeness sir, and I'm sure you have your reasons, but you really should be doing you paper work and not fiddling around with…these thing," Risa said quietly, trying not to incite Mustang's anger. Roy growled softly and snatched the paper back from his subordinate. He rolled his eyes and raised his free hand to pat a stack of papers on the edge of his desk.

"Rudeness pardoned and all, but I'm done. So if that is all Major General…"

"Why cranes sir?" Risa butted in. Under normal circumstances, this would be seen as extreme disrespect, but things were different when it came to Roy Mustang and his closest followers. Risa didn't know how to describe it beyond the word 'trust'. It was so simple and yet…Risa picked the black and blue crane up again before she continued, "We all have hobbies but this is slightly obsessive. You must have a reason and if not then make these things on your own time…please sir," she added. There was a pause…a sigh…a smirk…a smile…

"Somebody once told me that if you make a chain of one thousand paper cranes, you get a wish answered by the gods," he said calmly, not once looking up from the colorful sheet in his hands.

"But you don't believe in god Sir."

"No, I don't," Roy replied. "But does that mean I can't hope, Hawkeye? I don't care if it's childish as long as it keeps me sane."

"You aren't childish, Sir," Hawkeye calmly said. "At least children admit when times are tough. Children know how to cry." And with that final statement still fresh in the air, Hawkeye saluted and left the room without a dismissal.

Roy stared after the Major General, flinching as the door slammed behind her. He propped his chair to the side, two legs resting on the floor while the other two hovered precariously in the air. Chuckling dryly to himself, he stared out of the windows down at the gardens on the side of Central's investigations building. The afternoon sun washed over him as a soft breeze cooled the room. _Roy, did you know…_ As he stared out at the grounds, Roy could almost remember. _Roy, did you know… _It had been a day like today, so beautiful, so bittersweet. _Roy did you know…_


	2. Fold 2 Cold Nights and Coffee

Thank you so much for reading my fanfic. I do hope you enjoy it. Just to recap, this is a flashback and Roy is still a Colonel here. R&R

Cold Nights and Coffee

_Roy glowered at the clock on the opposite wall of his office. Eight thirty, no man should have to work until eight thirty on any given day, let alone be at the office at eight thirty and know that it won't be until ten that he can finally leave. A large pile of paper work sat innocently in front of him. Sometimes Roy swore that paper work was the devil's incarnate. With a near luxurious sigh, he picked up his pen and began to sign each individual sheet, his loopy, sprawling signature near illegible even to his own eyes, which currently ached from being taxed so badly. A few more years of this and he would probably need glasses. Roy grimaced, trying to picture himself with glasses, but in the image, along with glasses came grey hair and wrinkles and he sneered at the thought. Lethargically he raised his eyes towards the few personal items he had on his desk. Two photographs, one framed in wood and the other silver, sat side by side. The wood framed photo was a group picture taken at Eastern HQ back before he had moved to Central. Mustang stood in the center, flanked by Hawkeye and Havoc. Cain Fuery stood to the right, a black and white fuzz-ball of a puppy bundled in his arms. Breda and Falman stood to the left, making sure the pouting blond before them could not escape. Roy smirked softly at snapshot. The other was much more simi-sweet. An almond haired woman stood in the center as she was held in a tight embrace from the man behind her. Said man had slicked back hair and fierce green eyes that were non-the less warm and friendly. 'Strike what I said before,' Roy smiled. 'I guess glasses wouldn't be too appalling.'_

_By the time the little hand reached the ten, Mustang had already turned his papers in and pulled on his long, black coat over his military jacket. With a hasty farewell to Hawkeye, he existed Central's main office building, strolling down the pillar-rimmed marble steps to the great cast-iron gates. He pushed open the right-hand side, grimacing as the red of rust and flecks of paint clung to his white gloves. What was that damn maintenance staff doing these days? Just last month the lights had gone out near the military warehouses, disturbing the moral in his easily startled subordinates. Maintenance was letting the already tarnished name of this military fall farther to shame, and Mustang vowed that, when he was Fuhrer, he would dismiss all of the current staff and replace them with more trustworthy men. _

_On most nights, Roy walked home. It wasn't that he preferred walking, merely that he felt no real need to hassle himself with his car. Tonight was no exception. He had the quickest possible path plotted out in his mind and it usually took no more than thirty minutes on a clear night like tonight to get home. As he set off down Main Street, a low growling of his stomach reminded Roy that he had yet to eat anything that could be considered a meal in the last ten hours. He groaned and looked from side to side to find a quick place to eat. A café had opened just the other day down one of the side streets that Roy usually took home. A large 'We're Open' sign had hung on the window, begging passers by to come in. Roy couldn't blame the café's staff though; hardly anybody ever went down that street. It wasn't a very convenient path to anywhere besides Roy's apartment building and the military dorms farther down. 'Why not,' Roy thought as he turned down said side street. Large windows glowed, the thrown light stretching across the walls and road to illuminate the whole street. Lamps and lanterns died in comparison. _

_Mustang heaved a happy sigh as he opened the café door, a rush of warm air washing over him as he entered. It was just getting frosty out, not that bone-felt cold of dead winter, but the slight chill that made one, non-the less, long for a warm haven. The air hung with the deep, bitter smell of fresh coffee and hazelnut. Roy strolled up to the counter and, not before flashing a grin at the pretty brunet cashier, ordered a cup of straight, black coffee and a bowl of the day's soup special. The cashier blushed, flipping a few strands of unruly brown locks out of her eyes as she took his money. Roy turned to find a seat, glancing around the room for the first time. It was a fairly classic café, nothing out of the ordinary. At least, nothing to the untrained eye, but Roy's eyes were far from untrained. Hanging off of a booth in the far corner, as though attempting to escape notice, was a long, red coat. Mustang grinned as he directed himself towards the corner booth. A longhaired blond slouched in the booth, unaware of the newest pair of eyes that bore into him. It wasn't until a soft thud sounded from across the table that he looked up, glaring. His glare intensified when his eyes locked with the smirking, black eyes of his superior. _

_"I don't think I said you could sit down bastard," the blond snapped, breaking eye contact with the dark abysses opposite him._

_"I don't recall asking you Fullmetal." The colonel sneered. "And what are those," he added, looking at the paper strewn across the table. _

_"None of your business," Ed shot childishly. It was odd; the only person that could get him all riled up these days was the colonel. Nowadays, Ed barely even snapped at comments about his height; he had far too much on his mind to care about petty insults. But perhaps it was Roy's egotistical attitude…or something else…that just ticked Ed off. "Just," he started again, desperately trying to get a rein around his temper, "Ergh, if you really want to know, they are cranes ok. So butt out."_

_Roy couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't his fault really, he argued with himself, it was just that this flustered, pissed-off ed was too cute for words. He raised his arms in the air for defense from the glare directed his way. Roy was still chuckling when the same brunet that had taken his order came to drop off his meal. She smiled, cheeks slightly pink, and went back towards the back without a word. _

_Silence…it lingered in the air between the two men at the booth. It was not uncomfortable, and it was not wholly comforting either. The world was just silent, save for the constant ebb and flow of background noises, but even those seemed to die down. Several times, Roy noticed, the boy opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, then promptly closed it upon seeing Roy's gaze. And thus the silence continued and grew, slowly eating away at the world around them. _

_Amber eyes narrowed, the beginnings of a frown etched into the boys face. At last he looked up, locking his honey colored eyes with black ones. He dropped his right arm onto the table, the chiming thud almost making Roy flinch. Ed dropped his chin to his hand, never letting his eyes leave Roy's. "Hey, Roy, did you know that if you make a thousand paper cranes you get a wish? No wait, don't interrupt me," he snapped as Roy had looked like he was about to say something. "It's really what people say though. If you make a thousand of the little bastards, you get a wish. I think it's some old legend or something. Mom told me about it when I was a kid. I transmuted this paper crane for her and she laughed and told me I was cheating. Said you have to fold each one and the gods will reward your efforts. God will reward you. That's such a bunch of…" but he trailed off, gazing down at the miniscule bird in his hands. "But…I can't help it. Even if the chances that little birds could grant a wish are zilch…can you blame me for trying?" _

_Silence…it fell so softly that it was near unnoticeable. Each was in their own, separate thoughts. Each was brooding. _

_"Could you teach me how to make these?" Startled amber eyes shot up, once again jerking a laugh out of the colonel. "Humor me."_

_The blond groaned but nodded, sliding a piece of paper across the table towards the other. "Whatever. Ok, pick up you square and fold it horizontally like this…then diagonally and the other way…umm right…push the two sides into the middle and it should look like…yeah about like that…now fold those two sides in and…what the hell did you do! Give that here," Ed snatched the malformed diamond from the others hand and readjusted it, switching the incorrect folds and smoothing them until the previous trauma was barely visible. Roy was too impressed to note how rude the teen had been._

_"How did you do that?"_

_"Well I've had a lot of practice." The blond waved off the hidden compliment. He resumed instructing Roy through the steps of making a crane, occasionally having another outburst at how badly Roy could mess it up. Finally he wrote down the steps on a sheet of paper and shoved it into Roy's hands. "There, an idiot's guide to making a crane."_

_"So I'm assuming you are the idiot correct."_

_"Shut it…" Ed sighed softly before looking back across the table. "Hey, could you do me a favor? I'm traveling all the time and all so umm…could you take the cranes I have and try to finish the one thousand? You can have the wish; I doubt I'll need anything once Al and I've got our bodies back. And no piece of paper's gonna help me with that." Without waiting for a reply, Ed dropped a few bills on the table and exited the café, leaving all of his possessions behind in the booth save for the long red coat that he wrapped around his shoulders. Roy's eyes followed the blond down the street until he was out of sight, then gathered the mess of folded paper and wrapped it all up in his black overcoat. A smile, not cold like his usual one but warm and almost blissful momentarily graced his lips. He pulled open the door and with one final gust of cold air, he was gone. And all was Silent. _


	3. Fold 3 Wishes and Silence

**Alright! Here is the last chapter of my first FMA fanfic. Geez…my first two fanfics have been so dreary…I need to write some fluff. But I hope you like this; I enjoyed writing it. Please R&R **

**I don't own FMA…yeah…that is why I am on fanfiction…**

Frigid gusts of winter wind swept through the air, carrying the nostalgic reminder of long fallen snow. Arid clouds of grey obscured the sky as they writhed and conformed under the force of the wind. The leaves had long since left their homes on the trees, and the skeletal remains were almost haunting to the Fuhrer as he wrapped is jacket tighter around himself. His thin gloves did next to nothing to block the numbing chill that grasped his fingers, and long shivers ran up his arms and down his spine. And yet, as though oblivious to his pain, he continued forward through cast iron gates and down streets that suddenly seemed alien to him. This path was worn into his memory to a depth that scared him yet today it seemed strange. In his arms he grasped a leather suitcase, so worn and battered from use that the red straps that wrapped around the case barely held it together anymore.

Another pair of gates, black this time, rose in front of the Fuhrer. His mind had gone blank, his eyes empty. Feet merely moved, beating a rhythm through the cold. A pulse, a glimmer of life that cleaved the silence, for he and he alone was cursed to bare the weight of time. These others had lost that pain, had forgotten that burden. He trudged forwards; climbing higher and higher up a hill enveloped by dying grass and withered flowers.

Roy reached the top of the hill, all of Central lying before him. He slowed, his footsteps quieting. The pulse wavered momentarily, then stilled all together. Roy faltered, uncertain of how to continue. His lips twitched slightly, quivering over unsaid words. Finally, with something almost resembling a chuckle, Roy laid the suitcase down at his feet and crouched down beside it.

"Sorry I haven't come by for a while; Hawkeye's been a slave driver lately. And…well I'm just a lot busier than I was. And as you said, I'm such a 'lazy ass'. You know, I think you might be right about that. It's been five years and I only just got around to…well why don't I show you." Roy unclipped the clasps on the suitcase and it fell open, it's contents spilling over onto the ground. A sea of color shown from the case, light reflected off the paper staining the snow like a rainbow. One thousand cranes, each one hand folded, lay before him.

"If I had one wish, you know what I would wish for? If you did, you'd call me an idiot, a bastard. You would say that you don't need any help, especially from someone like me. But you asked me for help once. Only once, but I intend to follow it through. You said that if I finished your 1000 paper cranes, I could have the wish. So, I wish," once again Roy faltered, a lump lodging itself in his thought and restricting his breathing and ability to talk. He swallowed roughly and barged on ahead, "I'd wish that my shorty could wish again. And I wish that he could use this wish because I am sure he could find some better…at least more interesting wish than I can. So be happy that I'd waste a wish on you, ok midget." And with a with a smile, Roy turned and walked away. A strong gust picked up the light paper and dragged each crane through the air, momentarily giving flightless bird and lift beneath their wings. In their wake stood a black stone with deep engraved words etched on its surface.

_In Memory of Edward Elric_

_His Loyalty is Undying_

_He Will Never Be Forgoten_

_Brother_

_Friend_

_Hero_

An empty grave to a lost hero. He had brought life and energy to all who knew him. He brought hope and dreams to those who looked on at him from afar. Without him, all was still and cold. Without him, all was silent.


End file.
